State of the Arts

One of the major events The Arts Partnership hosts each year is the State of the Arts, a social event loosely modeled after the State of the Cities that celebrates the successes of the arts in the past year. Our 2019 State of the Arts event is from 7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday, June 11 at NDSU Barry Hall. This year, our State of the Arts event serves as the conclusion of our inaugural Business Breakfast Series on March 19, April 16 and May 21 at the Hjemkomst Center. You can find more information about this series and purchase your tickets here.

At the State of the Arts, we highlight the importance of the arts in our community, debut our organizational goals for the upcoming fiscal year and award City Arts Partnership grants to area nonprofits that add vibrancy to our community through art. We also present awards to local arts advocates, organizations and businesses for their significant contributions to the arts in the past year.

Because we can’t have a State of the Arts event without art, we also have one of our many amazing Partners perform for the audience. For example, in 2017 the Fargo-Moorhead Ballet performed a beautiful piece inspired by an indigenous woman named Nimuué, or “Lady of the Lake.” In 2018, ND Poetry Out Loud winner Maria Modi Tuya and FM Golden Blend moved and entertained us with their art.

Why attend the State of the Arts?
We encourage anyone interested in learning more about the intersection of arts, community and business to attend the State of the Arts – especially those who have a need to attract and retain employees.

Recent studies by the Valley Prosperity Partnership and the Workforce Study Taskforce indicate an increasing need to attract and retain employees in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo.

We know employees today have significant options for choosing where to live and work, and communities of our size, geography and location must provide quality of life amenities that make the Fargo-Moorhead Metro an appealing place to live. A major piece of that is the arts and culture woven in the grain of our community. We address and celebrate this at the State of the Arts.